Dan Hobson

A man who became ‘overtaken’ with anxiety and depression slit his wife’s throat and then killed himself, an inquest heard.

Raymond Massey and wife Christine Tunnicliffe Massey were found dead at their home in Beech Close, Brierley, around noon on November 7, 2015.

Police outside a property on Beech Close Brierley in Barnsley where 2 bodies were discovered earlier today'Picture Dean Atkins

Sheffield Coroner’s Court heard on Friday that Mr Massey, aged 67, killed his 57-year-old wife in the couple’s bedroom before turning the knife on himself.

The inquest heard he had quickly descended into paranoia and anxiety amid unfounded fears that an investment had gone wrong.

Sheffield Coroner Chris Dorries said: “There are no nice words I can say in this situation... Anxiety overtakes people.”

The inquest heard Mr Massey had invested money in a flat in Bradford, which he had been due to sell.

Two months prior to the tragedy, Mr Massey learned that his financial advisor had been arrested for fraud and he began to suffer ‘very high levels of anxiety’ as a result, the court heard.

Mr Dorries said: “He thought that they were going to lose everything.”

He added: “In reality it was a decent investment which was just about to pay off.”

The inquest heard Mr Massey was prescribed anti-depressants one week before the incident.

The court heard the couple had been happily married for 21-years, up until two months prior to the tragedy.

During Mr Massey’s downturn, the court heard he lost weight, was not sleeping and appeared confused.

Around 11.30am on November 7, Mrs Tunnicliffe Massey’s daughter, Alison, became concerned after calling her mother but getting no response. She called her partner at the time, who attended the couple’s house and kicked the door down.